School plans expansion to keep up with student growth

The Jonesboro School District is looking to grow along with their student population.

A two-story, 12,000 square foot expansion is planned for the high school. The expansion will be built near the entrance of the Northeast Arkansas Career and Technical Center.

"This year versus last year, we saw probably about a 10% increase," Monroe Pointer said about their student population.

Pointer, the Jonesboro Public Schools director of facilities, said they expect to see that same growth in the high school next year too.

"To try and get ahead of that, what we plan to do is extend on the northwest end of our building, an eight-classroom addition," Pointer said.

Pointer said the addition will include a self-contained classroom, two chemical labs, and five classrooms

Each floor is expected to be 6,100 square feet.

Pointer said the expansion is something that's needed as soon as possible.

"One of the good things about this, the ground area, there's not a whole lot of dirt work that has to happen," Pointer said. "It's not as if you're going to build a whole new site. That kind of helps us out and hopefully this kind of shortens it by at least 3 or 4 weeks on leveling and dirt work."

The school is currently advertising for bids for the project.

Pointer said they hope to start the job in early October and have it completed by August of 2017.

A “zero-tolerance policy” put into effect by the Trump administration increased criminal prosecutions of people caught trying to enter the U.S. illegally, which led to adults being jailed and their children separated from them.

A “zero-tolerance policy” put into effect by the Trump administration increased criminal prosecutions of people caught trying to enter the U.S. illegally, which led to adults being jailed and their children separated from them.